BC Interior Health Authority Writes to BC Environmental Assessment Office

Posted by Stop Ajax Mine on November 1st, 2011 7:48am

The BC Interior Health Authority (IHA) has written to the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) setting out in detail a number of areas which the IHA believes must be fully addressed in an environmental assessment of the Ajax project. The IHA letter makes specific reference to the Provincial Guidance on Application of Provincial Air Quality Criteria for total particulate matter and respirable dust. The IHA also refers to the CCME Guideline for Continuous Improvements for Keep Areas Clean, and states that both of these sets of guidelines should be considered as guiding principles in the environmental assessment of Ajax. The IHA notes that the dust inventory should include total particular matter and respirable dust. The IHA notes that no safe thresholds have been identified for respirable particulates.

It is noted that the IHA letter raises the concern that the proponent's meteorological station located in the lee of Sugarloaf Hill may not provide a true representation of meteorological data for the project area.

KAPA fully supports this welcome initiative from the IHA. The IHA reference to assessing dust also points to the need for lengthy (2 to 3 years) baseline studies of the mine site before any further development takes place. Should the project be approved there will be a clear need for dust monitors to be placed at all health care facilities, senior facilities and schools within the city. There will inevitably be dust blown over Kamloops by the prevailing southwest wind, and Pacific Way Elementary School is only two kilometres from the mine site.

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